Abstract: The disclosure relates to a chondrogenic cell sheet comprising at least two layers of confluent chondrogenically differentiated cells, wherein the cell sheet is prepared from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and wherein the chondrogenically differentiated cells on the basal side of the cell sheet express adhesion molecules. The disclosure also relates to a method of preparing a chondrogenic cell sheet comprising: a) culturing MSCs on temperature responsive cultureware until confluent to form a cell sheet; b) detaching the cell sheet by temperature reduction and allowing the cell sheet to contract, forming a contracted cell sheet; c) contacting the contracted cell sheet with a culture surface; and d) treating the contracted cell sheet on the culture surface with chondrogenic medium and culturing to form a chondrogenic cell sheet. Methods of using the chondrogenic cell sheets to repair cartilage tissue or treat joint disease are also disclosed.

Abstract: A medical device for removing or retrieving objects from the body of a subject (e.g., from a vessel and/or a cavity in the body of the subject. Such a retrieval apparatus includes a handle, a sheath protruding from the handle, and a snare. The snare includes a loop that may extend from a distal end of the sheath, as well as an intermediate portion that resides within a lumen of the snare and one or more ends that are coupled to or are otherwise associated with one or more controls carried by the handle. The controls may enable retraction of the loop into the lumen of the sheath, sizing of the loop, and reciprocation, or back and forth movement, of the snare and its loop. Methods for using such a retrieval apparatus are also disclosed.